The mutual shelling between Israel and Hezbollah continues. In the UN Security Council, UN chief Guterres finds clear words towards Iran. US President Biden also expresses himself clearly – towards Israel.
Israel’s army has continued attacks on the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon after renewed shelling in the north of the country. Once again, residential areas of the capital Beirut, which is located in the center of the country, were also targeted. The military reported a “precise” attack there late in the evening. According to authorities, at least six people were killed.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health on Wednesday evening, 46 people were killed and 85 others injured in Israeli attacks in various parts of the country within 24 hours. Hezbollah circles said that Israel launched three attacks on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital on Wednesday evening. It was the third series of Israeli attacks on the stronghold of the pro-Iran Islamist militia in the past 24 hours.
The Israeli army had previously called on the population in parts of the south of the capital Beirut to evacuate. “They are located near facilities (…) that are connected to Hezbollah, against which the Israeli army will take action in the near future,” said army spokesman Avichai Adraee on the online service X that night. He named them Haret Hreik district, Burj al-Barajne and Hadath Gharb.
Foreigners are leaving Lebanon
More and more countries are taking their citizens out of Lebanon. According to the State Department in Washington, around 100 Americans and members of their families left the country. They were taken out of the country on a flight arranged with a commercial airline.
The Bundeswehr also had another 130 German citizens flown to Germany via Beirut airport. The Germans who were particularly at risk were picked up by an Airbus A330 from the multinational air transport unit MMU (Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Unit), the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense announced in Berlin. The plane landed in Frankfurt am Main in the evening. So far, a total of 241 people have been flown out of Lebanon using Bundeswehr aircraft, the ministries said.
Worry about all-out war
The Australian government booked 500 seats on commercial flights from Lebanon for Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families. They were due to leave the country on Saturday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced. The seats are available to 1,700 Australians and their families known to be in Lebanon, Wong said.
Israel is currently carrying out massive air strikes against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Ground troops are also deployed. According to the military, eight Israeli soldiers have died since the fighting began.
Since Iran actively intervened in the conflict on Tuesday and fired massive rockets at Israel, fears of a comprehensive regional war have been increasing. Israel threatened Iran with retaliation – a possible target could also be Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Biden against Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities
However, the USA, as Israel’s most important ally, spoke out against an attack on nuclear facilities. “The answer is no,” said US President Joe Biden in response to a reporter’s question. But Israel has a right to respond to Iran’s attack. Biden had advocated carefully considering the response to Tuesday’s Iranian missile attack.
In the UN Security Council, the USA blamed Iran for the escalating crises in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Tehran was involved in Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel by funding and training the group’s military wing, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in an emergency meeting of the U.N.’s top body .
UN chief calls for ceasefire
UN Secretary-General António Guterres once again calls on the parties to the conflict in the Middle East for a ceasefire. “This deadly vicious circle of mutual violence must end. We are running out of time.” Guterres did not directly address the fact that Israel had previously declared him a “persona non-essential” and justified this, among other things, by the fact that the Secretary General had not clearly condemned the Iranian missile attack.
The United Nations rejected the allegations as a “political statement” and spoke of an unprecedented event. The US government also criticized Israel’s move as unhelpful. “We do not consider this step to be productive in any way,” said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
In the Security Council, Guterres once again condemned Iran’s attack – and specifically named Iran. “As should have been clear yesterday in the context of the condemnation I expressed, I once again condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s massive missile attack on Israel yesterday,” he said.
Martin Ganslmeier, ARD New York, tagesschau, October 3rd, 2024 12:02 a.m